Modelled potential forest area in the forest-steppe of central Mongolia is about three times of actual forest area
Abstract. The Mongolian forest-steppe is highly sensitive to climate change and environmental impact. The intention of this study was to identify, which geoecological parameters control forest distribution and tree growth in this semi-arid environment, and to evaluate the actual and potential tree biomass. For this purpose, we applied a combination of tree biomass and soil mapping, remote sensing and climate data analysis to a study area in the northern Khangai Mountains, central Mongolia. Forests of different landscape units and site conditions generally showed minor differences in tree biomass. We found no significant correlation between tree biomass and NDVI (normalized differentiated vegetation index). Tree biomass was reduced at forest edges, in small fragmented forest stands of the steppe-dominated area, and in large forest stands, compared to all other forest units. The tree biomass of forests on slopes ranged between 25 and 380 Mg ha−1. The mean tree biomass in forests of 10–500 ha was 199–220 Mg ha−1, whereby tree biomass at the forest edges was 50–63 Mg ha−1 less than in the interior parts of the forests. The mean tree biomass of forests > 500 ha was 182 Mg ha−1, whereas that of forests